


Divine Bond

by j_whirl44



Series: Podcast Girls Week 2020 [4]
Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: (also the OC is the illusive traveling paladin we dont know about), Azu's backstory really just be free real estate.meme so, F/F, Pre-Canon, my lose interpretation on Pathfinder mechanics lmao
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:14:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25133734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_whirl44/pseuds/j_whirl44
Summary: How does a paladin acquire a loyal steed?
Relationships: Azu & Topaz T. Camel, Azu/Original Female Character
Series: Podcast Girls Week 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1821985
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11
Collections: Podcast Girls Week





	Divine Bond

Azu tosses and turns on her bedroll as the whistling winds of the night scream around the tent, keeping her awake. Despite the fact that it’s actually cool tonight she finds herself sweaty and uncomfortable. She sits up in a huff and tries to calm her breathing. She closes her eyes to meditate briefly.

When she feels a bit more relaxed she looks over and sees Adelia sleeping peacefully next to her and Azu can’t help but feel a little jealous. She sighs as she gets up and exits the tent. The wind is harsher than usually, as the weather has started to become more intense these past few days. A perfect time for a pilgrimage, Azu thought. Though there was a chill in the air there was still a warmth in her chest that she didn’t know where it was coming from.

After traveling alongside Adelia for almost a year now they were sent word that Azu was to report to the Aphrodite hospital in Cairo. She was overjoyed with the news as she knew that’s where Eren Fairhands was located. She’s heard so many stories through Adelia about his wondrous healing and how touched he is with Aphrodite's guidance. That’s what Azu wants and she hopes Cairo is filled with the answers she’s looking for.

They have a long trek ahead of them as they’re coming from the east of Africa where they stopped for a few weeks to help the villages with whatever they needed. It was mostly busy work, helping with the livestock or taking care of the elderly and the children, but Azu didn’t mind. She tried to learn as much as she could through following Adelia’s example so she could one day do this on her own. It’s another reason why Azu was so excited to start this solo journey, she wanted to prove to Adelia, and to Aphrodite, that she was strong enough and capable enough to spread her teachings through kindness and healing.

Azu looks around at the landscape in front of her. It’s dark and not much to look at besides endless amounts of sand and a few sparse trees but she focuses on how the wind moves them. She relaxes her body just enough to have it do the same to her as she closes her eyes and sways with them. She thinks of home. Of the tall snow capped mountains and the rich forests that thrived on the slopes. She remembers waking up early to watch the sunrise almost every day and basking in the feeling of the early morning warmth on her skin.

A smile breaks out across her face. She opens her eyes slowly and gasps when she sees the creature in front of her. It’s a giraffe. Normally, it wouldn’t surprise Azu to see one, but she knows they usually don’t travel this far north, especially alone. Plus, this giraffe had the faintest pink glow to it, and it was looking straight at Azu.

She didn’t move for a moment as the creature continued to stare. It wasn’t anything malicious, she could feel that. It was more examining and caution. Azu straightens up, a hand moves to her side to rest on a concealed short dagger she kept on her while sleeping; one of the first things she learned from Adelia.

It’s the giraffe that steps forward first and Azu gasps. She shakes off her surprise quickly as she now also takes a step closer.

She notices now that not only is this giraffe glowing pink it’s also slightly larger than what’s to be expected. They two reach each other now and Azu brings her hand up and strokes the animal’s neck. It feels to be expected, the fur is coarse yet soft.

She walks around to the side of it and examines it further. It’s seemingly out of its element, but built strong. It’s stomach and back look sturdy and Azu is quietly impressed. Its spots are almost perfectly placed onto it and she notices that they’re all heart shaped. She smiles as she rubs a hand along its side. The giraffe makes a noise.

It suddenly gets down on all fours and through its long neck looks back at Azu as if presenting her with a challenge.

There’s something inside her that once again grows warm. She closes her eyes and centers herself. She hears faint whispers that she cannot quite pin down before she opens her eyes again and looks to the beast.

She hesitates for another moment before climbing onto the giraffe's back. She struggles to get a balance on its back before the animal climbs back to its feet and starts to sprint off. Azu lets out a surprised yelp and tries to hold on as best she can.

She eventually is able to somewhat enjoy the ride as the giraffe continues to run full speed. She feels like she’s going to be sick but cannot bring herself to actually vomit.

The sprint is over soon enough and the giraffe now is at normal walking speed. It doesn’t seem to even remember that Azu is there as it stops to eat leaves from the tree nearby. She sits there silently on its back and watches it. She doesn’t know what it wants or why it’s here and she racks her brain for an answer.

“Are you lost, friend?” she asks. There’s no response, of course, but the low whispering she heard earlier picks up again. The giraffe is looking down at her now almost expectantly and Azu blinks away her confusion.

“Are you...trying to communicate with me?” she says. The giraffe stares down at her for another moment before turning back to eating. Azu gives out a huff of mild frustration and looks around.

She examines the markings on the creature again as well as the glow and twists her face in concentration, “You’re clearly sent here by Aphrodite. That much I know, but why,” she muses. The giraffe gives out another noise that sounds almost a bit annoyed as it shifts its back legs and Azu has to once again hold on for balance.

It’s more of the same for the rest of the night as she rides on the back of a very unamused animal. They don’t try to communicate with each other and the both of them seem frustrated as the giraffe sprints off again towards Azu’s tent. A small sandstorm has picked up and Azu has to shield her face which makes her balance off. They reach their destination and the giraffe all but bucks Azu off its back. She lands hard on the ground and groans. The giraffe saunters off and she watches it fade into what’s left of the night.

“Well that was unpleasant,” she says in a low voice. She continues to lie there on her back for a moment as she catches her breath.

“Azu?” a voice calls from the tent. She looks to see Adelia come into few, a smile on her face and an eyebrow raised. “Are you alright, dear,” she asks with a not so subtle tone of amusement in her voice.

“There was a...giraffe?” Azu says slowly, “It was sent by Aphrodite I think. We didn’t seem to get along,” Azu explains.

Adelia lets out a full smile now and Azu takes a moment to admire it’s brightness and she smiles slightly as well.

“So it’s begun then?” Adelia says.

Azu sits up now and looks at her in confusion, “What?”

Adelia doesn’t respond and just heads back towards the tent, “Come get some rest, Azu, I can explain in the morning,” she says, holding out a hand. Azu takes it and follows her back into the tent, forgetting about her strange night almost instantly.

\---

“An animal companion? That’s what that was?”

Adelia nods as the two begin their trek again, the sun is hot already and beating down on them. “In theory yes, though it didn’t seem like it worked out. It makes sense that this is happening now, Aphrodite trusts you, she’s handed you your first post. She wants to give you a companion to help.”

Azu looks saddened by the explanation, “but i failed that test then,” she says.

Adelia grabs her hand and squeezes it and moves to give Azu a kiss on the cheek, “my dear do not worry. These things take time. That was only the first attempt. Some paladins go through dozens of different animals before finding the right one that fits them. You’re doing great,” she says.

Azu squirms under the soft praise as she squeezes Adelia’s hand again. The two walk in silence, hand in hand, talking about different things until it’s time to set up camp again. It’s nice and Azu feels content.

\---

Days pass and Azu isn’t sleeping. It’s the same thing night after night, Aphrodite sends an animal and Azu tries her best to connect with it to now avail. She realizes now that the strange whispers she heard the first night are the animals trying to connect, and for some, like the hippo and the leopard, it was clearer than others, like the zebra and the ox. 

She was exhausted and irritated and no soft words of encouragement from Adelia were really helping. She felt like she was letting Aphrodite down and the closer they got to Cairo the more she worried.

It was late afternoon, but another harsh sandstorm was forming, which forced them to turn in early and stay in the safety of the tent.

“Maybe i won't have to go out tonight…” Azu says. Adelia laughs and shakes her head.

“I don’t believe that’s how it works, besides,” she says, giving Azu a light kiss, “I feel like tonight’s gonna be a good one.”

Azu rolls her eyes, “you say that every night,” she says pointedly.

Adelia laughs, “maybe this time I mean it,” she replies.

Night falls and Azu is wide awake and dreading going outside. The sandstorm still sounds like it’s raging and she can’t take another night of fighting back and forth with an animal. She glances at Adelina who is sleeping peacefully and she lets out a sigh and now focuses on the necklace around her neck. It’s warm and glowing and Azu knows it’s time.

She gets up and exits the tent as she awaits the nightly creature. To her slight surprise, there’s not one waiting for her, although it’s a little hard to see with the storm. She closes her mouth to try and not breathe in too much sand and squints her eyes to try and see, her darkvision helps, but only slightly.

She tries to focus her hearing but it’s useless with the wind. She lets out a frustrated grunt as she walks forward away from the tent. That’s when she sees a familiar pink glow in the distance and she makes her way towards it.

As she gets closer she notices the sandstorm ceases to rage in a small ten foot bubble of what she can now see is a camel. It seems like it’s almost smiling at Azu, who looks at it dumbfounded. She shakes off the sand in her clothes and straightens up.

“Well that’s convenient,” she says. The camel lets out a long sound almost like the moo of a cow and steps forward. Azu reaches out her hand. The camel reaches it and its snout fits perfectly in Azu’s hand. She feels the warmth in her palm immediately as she gently pets it. It’s a moment that she feels like she hasn’t had with any of the other animals she’s encountered so far and she takes that as a good sign.

Azu examines the camels face and studies the long lashes it has that are full of sand. It has an almost wiry beard from the length of its whiskers. She scratches under its chin and the camel lets out a low, satisfied sound. Azu smiles.

She walks around and examines the size of it’s hump. It’s big and sturdy and Azu’s not sure how comfortable she’ll be able to ride. The camel looks at her and she hears a voice of  _ ‘trust me’ _ in her head. Azu gasps and lets out a slightly involuntary laugh. This night is certainly not going anywhere near when she thought it was. 

The camel leans down and waits patiently for Azu to climb on. It even gives her a gentle push with its face and she takes the hint finally settling herself on its back, and they are off.

The camel springs up and starts to run and Azu hangs on. She’s able to do so with such ease that it almost frightens her but she leans into it. The storm rages on around them but they’re still safe from the worst of it as it splits around them. Azu basks in the glow of the camel and lets it guide her around the rough terrain. Each passing moment she hears the camel more and more clearly and when she closes her eyes she feels like she sees Aphrodite smiling down at her.

Azu thinks she understands it now, the need for an animal companion, why Aphrodite chose this bond to share with her. It’s connections that make Azu strong, the connections with others that make her believe in herself. She thinks of Adelia and the love she has for her. Thinks of her family back home. Thinks of all the elders in the villages she’s helped. It makes sense that she’d be given the chance to form another bond like this one.

She doesn’t even notice that it’s almost sunrise now as she’s still on the back of the camel and they’re heading back to camp. The camel looks back at her and they lock eyes. Azu smiles and gives it a strong pat on its neck. The camel seems pleased, her smile widens.

Amelia is waiting outside the tent with a smile of her own. The storm must’ve eventually died down as she begins to tear down the camp.

She looks at the camel and then up at Azu, “Friend of yours?” she asks.

“I think so,” Azu says. The camel lets out a sound in response and the two women laugh.

“You need a name for her then,” Adelia says.

Realization of that fact hits Azu and she groans, “I’m terrible with names…” she mumbles.

“Trust me I know,” Adelia replies with a wink as she pets the camel’s face. It lets out a low hum in response, “Luckily we’re still a week away from Cairo. You have plenty of time to think on it, now you mind getting down and helping me here. The storm covered everything in sand. This weather has been something…” she trails off.

The camel gets down to help Azu off it’s back before curling up and taking a short rest of its own.

The three set off to continue their journey. They pass the time now thinking of the most absurd names to call the creature. Each one is more ridiculous than the last and the gentle grunts from the camel are a way to judge if it’ll stick or not.

Azu thinks of the last village they stopped through before leaving on this journey. They were gifted with jewelry their first night there, and Azu received a pair of earrings made of one of the finest stones she’s ever seen. She wears them now and she brings a hand to her ear as she looks over at Adelia and smiles.

“What about Topaz?” she says. The camel gives what they can only hope is a positive response to the name as it jumps up between them. “I’ll take that as a yes then.”

They continue to walk in silence and Azu feels lucky to have them by her side. 

They’re almost to Cairo and Azu has no clue what awaits her but she’s glad she now has a friend with her. She turns to Topaz and gives her a hug around her neck. Adelia laughs.

Azu feels whole.

**Author's Note:**

> i could not really find any clear explanation on how a paladin gets a steed except that it's just through divine bond and though it feels a bit silly and ooc i loved the idea of Azu having to like "speed date" a bunch of animals before Topaz came along so its my canon now thanks.
> 
> also, i love giraffes and one of the canon options for a medium paladin is apparently a giraffe and i'm kinda sad Helen didn't chose a giraffe (even tho it wouldn't make sense geographical wise but shhhhh)
> 
> anyways.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


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